LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens said today that criticism concerning the possibility of penalties against players deemed not to have proper English-speaking skills caught her by surprise.

"Of course I was (surprised) because it wasn't a policy, it wasn't ready for prime time, and it spun out of control,'' Bivens said.

She added, "It wasn't a policy, it never was. It's a program,'' referring to the three-year-old Kolon-LPGA Cross Cultural Program which offers assistance to LPGA members in a variety of areas, including the availability of tutors for teaching English.

Bivens said she understood that players may have been caught by surprise by the penalty aspects of the program, which she has since rescinded, but noted the players were informed in "a private conversation, a private meeting'' and "it wasn't intended to be an announcement at that point.''

For more on what Bivens had to say about the issue and for her thoughts on Mobile's transition to a full-field event with this week's Bell Micro LPGA Classic at Magnolia Grove, see Thursday's Press-Register.